STARA - 16.04.2015, Page 37

It is quite obvious that the current framework
for visual arts does not correspond to the reali-
ties of working visual artists, and the same can
be said about people in other fields; curators, art
historians, teachers, and everyone who in one
way or another is connected to the visual arts in
Iceland. It is as if visual artists and those on the
periphery of visual arts operate in a “Potemkin
village,” where the framework of visual arts cer-
tainly displays a stunning façade, but rarely has
anything behind it. This needs to change.
The map should enable people to see the big
picture of Icelandic visual arts. It shows every
aspect of the world of visual arts, as well as
what should be grouped together and how those
groups intersect, thus facilitating plans for
change and refinement.
General discussions about the Icelandic visual
arts world and ways to shake up and fix that
which needs fixing have been one-sided, frac-
tured, and lacking in co-operation between
disciplines and fields. The biggest problem has
been that many people have not been able to see
the overall picture and understand the need to
fine-tune the myriad sides of the artistic frame-
work in co-operation with different parties
involved in visual arts.
Those involved in visual arts frequently define
their interests and their organization’s interests
wrongly and therefore have a tough time realiz-
ing that in order for every aspect of the Icelandic
visual arts world to evolve and come together, it
is necessary to understand and define the links
between agencies and parties outside their sec-
tors and interests. Instead, those interests are
often narrowly defined and, in some cases, par-
ties are working against each other.
Mapping the big picture is SÍM’s contribution
towards combining the visions of those who
participate in the visual arts in Iceland. It is of-
fered as an experimental basis of co-operation,
but at the start each and every member of SÍM
will participate in adding missing components
and making suggestions to ensure the big
picture of Icelandic visual arts will grow and
develop. After the work of SÍM members is
done, other parties of the visual arts scene will
be asked to add to the map, augmenting under-
standing and co-operation.
“General discussions about
the Icelandic visual arts world
and ways to shake up and fix
that which needs f ixing have
been one-sided, fractured,
and lacking in co-operation
between disciplines and fields”
http://www.heildarmyndin.blogspot.com
S
T
A
R
A

n
o
.3
1.T
B
L
2
0
15
37